Las Vegas Weekly

July 21, 2010 · 4:51 PM

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina chef discusses — what else? — pizza

By Robin Leach

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina executive chef Dustin Lewandowski.

Photo: Wolfgang Puck Group

From July 14 through Aug. 4, Robin Leach will be relaxing under the Tuscan sun on his annual vacation and keeping his eyes on what’s happening in Las Vegas from Italy. Meantime, a kindly crew of Las Vegas celebrities and VIPs has agreed to write guest columns for Vegas DeLuxe.

By Dustin Lewandowski, guest columnist

Hello, Vegas DeLuxe readers! I’m Dustin Lewandowski, executive chef at Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina inside Crystals at CityCenter. Today I am briefly stepping away from the kitchen to take over for Mr. Leach while he’s away.

You know, some days I look back and can’t believe or be more thankful for how fortunate I’ve been. From growing up in rural Nebraska to the day I was offered a job out here in Las Vegas, I would never have dreamed that I’d be an executive chef -- let alone an executive chef for the master himself, Wolfgang Puck.

Spearheading the launch of Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina has been an incredible experience. The location itself, right in the heart of CityCenter, is absolutely astounding. It’s such a fun, young and hip environment where our guests can expect a delicious dining experience, but in a casual setting. Our menu features a wide range of rustic Italian favorites including homemade pasta, meat and fish dishes, as well as an extensive selection of what chef Wolfgang is best known for -- pizza!

Photo: Wolfgang Puck Group

NMH Pizza.

Photo: Wolfgang Puck Group

Margherita Pizza.

A lot of people have this misconception that pizza is just a quick, casual party food -- and there’s no doubt that it’s the perfect food to eat while watching the big game with your friends over a beer -- as guests often do at Pizzeria & Cucina. However, pizza also is very multi-faceted. It’s something for all occasions, from the formal to the informal, whether it’s a Wolfgang Puck all-natural frozen pizza from the grocery store or New York-style pizza by the slice or more elaborate gourmet pizzas, much like what we offer at Pizzeria & Cucina.

Pizza is popular because it’s comfortable and approachable, and there always seems to be a different kind to fit everyone’s individual tastes. That concept was central to chef Wolfgang’s complete reinvention of pizza when he started his career decades ago. He took his experiences and applied them to the way we cook in America by mixing classic French techniques with Italian, Asian and Californian influences. That, combined with his commitment to use only the freshest and most natural ingredients available, has led to a pizza revolution.

Pizza is more than just dough topped with sauce and cheese, especially at Pizzeria & Cucina. Here, you’ll find variations ranging from the Vegetable Pizza with baby squash, blossoms, cherry tomatoes and ricotta to one of my personal favorites, the Italian Meat Pizza with pepperoni, salami, sopresatta and smoked ricotta cheese. And while we have 10 pizzas on our menu, without fail, every fourth pizza I make is a custom order. People like their pizza the way they like it!

A lot of this is what makes cooking so personal for me. An untouched flat dough is my artistic canvas. The food I create beyond that is my passion, my art and an extension of myself, which is why I am so meticulous when it comes to the quality, condition and the presentation of the food we serve.

Photo: Wolfgang Puck Group

Pasta.

Photo: Wolfgang Puck Group

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina at Crystals.

I do have to say dining at Pizzeria & Cucina is a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Even if pizza isn’t your thing, we offer an incredible selection of fresh homemade pastas, exquisite Italian favorites, domestic and international beers, creative cocktails and a comprehensive selection of wines. For those looking to nibble on a little bit of everything, I recommend our 7 for $7 Happy Hour daily from 5-7 p.m., where you can sample signature appetizers and drinks all for only $7 each.

And for you locals out there, come check us out any time now through Sept. 30 and we’ll take 20 percent off your entire food bill. Hungry yet?

With that said, Las Vegas, it is time for me to return to the kitchen. Buon appetito!

Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison and Caesars Palace headliner Matt Goss are tomorrow’s guest columnists.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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